Guitar



No. 6l3,540. Patented Nov. I, I898;

' G. C. WARD.

GUITAR.

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GUITAR.

(Application filed Nov. 9, 1897.) (No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PAT ENT OFFICE.

GEORGE COOPER IVARD, OF FORT WVORTH, TEXAS.

GUITAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 613,540, dated November 1, 1898.

Application filed November 9, 1897- Serial No. 657,962. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that 1, GEORGE Coornn WARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort WVorth, in the county of Tarrant and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in IIarpo-Guitarets; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in stringed musical instruments, such as harpguitars, and has for its object to simplify fingering with the left hand and also to increase the volume and mellowness of the tone of the instrument.

It is well known among the users of this class of instruments that the production of certain chordsis accomplished only with great difficulty, especially in the case of short-fingered players, and is attended with straining of the members of the hand though they be quite supple. For these reasons many players are unable to successfully produce some chords or play in certain keys without returning. My improvement enables the performer to do away with much of the difficult fretting and the returning, making him easier and smoother in his playing.

I have shown my invention preferably applied to an instrument of the harp kind and which I designate as a harpo-guitaret, although it is intended that the invention in its application shall include all instruments to which it is applicable.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a face view of a guitar constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is aside View thereof. Fig. 3 is a perspective View, the body portion being shown in dotted lines and the novel form of neck and finger-board in full lines, the strings being omitted.

The numeral 1 designates the body; 2, the rosette; 3, the neck; 4, the head, and 5 the tuning-pegs. The apron or tailpiece 6, to which the strings 7 are fastened, is made semi circular, or approximately so, as I have found that the tone produced when a tailpiece of this shape is used is mellower and stronger than when the ordinary straight tailpiece is employed. The tailpiece is shown accommodating eight bass strings and eight treble strings, sixteen strings in all, though the numher is optional. The tailpiece may be secured in position in any suitable manner, either by fastening on top of sound-board or otherwise.

Auxiliary S-shaped sound-holes 8 and 9 are cut in the sounding-board to permit the tone to be more open and also to equalize the volume of sound from the different strings.

The neck atits portion next to the body of the instrument is provided with side wings or portions 11 and 12, which, together with the narrow portion of the neck, constitute a new form of neck, admitting of the application of the strings and securing the new effects, as herein set forth. The neck is provided with the finger-board 10, which is fretted, and the side wings or portions are provided with head portions 13 13 tuning-pegs It 1 1*, and frets 15 15 the winged portions ordinarily beginning about the fifth fret of the middle series. It is preferred to form the side wings 11 12 and the head portions 13 13 integral with the narrow portion of the neck, and the same joined in any suitable manner to the body of the instrument, but if otherwise formed would be embraced within the scope of my invention. The finger-board is of the shape of the neck exclusive of the heads, and where it overlaps the sounding-board is cut out in a circular manner, as illustrated, so as not to encroach on the vibrating surface more than necessity requires. I

The tuning-pegs on the heads of the winged portions of the neck may be either of the style used in pianos, necessitating a key for tuning like violin-pegs, or any style suitable.

The strings are run from the tailpiece 6,

numbers 1 to 5 passing over nut 16 to pegs 5 14, 6 to 11 over nut 18 to head 4, and 12 to 16 over nut 17 to pegs 1 1. I have tuned the strings in the following order, commencing with the near or bass strings: f e c B A D G d g b and (Z 9 a b 0 cl for the keys of G and O, and thus ffi e 07% b 7%, e a (Z g b e, and g a b 0% d for the keys of D, A, E, &c.; but I do not limit myself to these orders.

While the strings by the construction and shape of the finger-board naturally fall into three groups, they are to be understood as one set and used in making chords with regard to pitch and irrespective of quality of string, as my invention is not to be confounded with the so-called arpeggio-string attachments found in some instruments of this class.

I have illustrated and described the preferred construction and arrangement of the several parts; but I do not confine myself to the details shown, as variations may be made without departing from the spirit of my in- Vention.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A stringed musical instrument having a body portion, and a neck provided with a finger-board and three nuts and head-pieces or wrest-bars, two of which head-pieces are on opposite sides of the neck and between the other head and body portion, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. A stringed musical instrument having a body portion provided with a curved apron or tailpiece, and a neck provided with a finger-board and three nuts and head-pieces or wrest-bars, two of which head-pieces are on opposite sides of the neck and between the other head and body portion, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. A stringed musical instrument having a body portion provided with a rosette, an apron or tailpiece, and one or more sound-holes intermediate of the rosette and apron or tailpiece, substantially as and for the purposes described.

at. A stringed musical instrument comprising a body portion, having a rosette, a tailpiece, and sound-openings between the rosette and apron or tailpiece, and a neck provided with a finger-board and three nuts and headpieces or wrest-bars, substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. A stringed musical instrument having a body portion, shaped, preferably, like a guitar, having a sounding-board or equivalent vibrating-surface, a projecting neck carrying a finger-board and three separate head-pieces or wrest-bars, two of which head-pieces are on opposite sides of the neck and the other at the upper end of the neck, said projecting neck and head-pieces or wrest-bars being made integral and joined onto the body portion and soundboard, substantially as and for the purposes described.

6. A stringed musical instrument having a body carrying a neck with wrest-bars, a finger-board, a sound-board or equivalent vibrating surface with one or more sound-holes therein, a curved apron or tailpiece for holding one-end of the strings, having the inner circle of the curve toward the sound-holes, and suitable string retaining and tuning devices, substantially as and-for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE COOPER WARD.

Witnesses i WARNER HENDERSON, W. L. IVIATHERS. 

